IB DP (class DP1) admission procedure:
VIII PALO starts the admission procedure to the IB Diploma Programme (class III of Polish secondary school). All students interested in the programme are welcome to become acquainted with the rules and conditions of the admission procedure. Admissions to IB DP1 class are currently being carried out on the basis of:
• exam marks and certificates proving completion of the previous education stage as well as secondary school certificates
• written assignment
• interview.
The details are available from the IB Programme Coordinator, Ms Ewa Dudek. (ib.viiipalo@gmail.com, ewa.dudek@viiipalo.edu.pl).
The information on the Programme is available on the following websites:
https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/
https://www.ibo.org/programmes/diploma-programme/curriculum/
The admissions process to the preparatory, Pre-IB class starts in October prior to the year the education in Pre-IB class commences. The class follows the curriculum of the standard Polish secondary school and prepares its students to participate in the IB Diploma Programme (among others: introduces the basics of the programme and the specific IB approach to studying, bilingual teaching, preparation to choose IB Programmme subjects).
We look forward to welcoming you at our school!
Contact info: tel. 12 633 96 57, e-mail:ib.viiipalo@gmail.com
Rules of DP1 class admissions
1. The head of school appoints the admissions board. Each application is assessed by a committee of at least two members of the board. The IB DP Coordinator is a member of the committee.
2. Having assessed an application, the committee recommends or gives reasons for rejecting the candidate to the head of school. The final decision is made by the head of school.
3. While assessing an application, the following are taken into consideration:
• graduates of Polish primary/middle schools:
– the result/score of each part of primary/middle school final exam,
– the mid-year and end-of-year (if available) grade one marks in the Polish language, the English language, Maths, and the subjects that the candidate plans to choose in the IB Diploma Programme,
– certificates of advanced level of competence in English,
– other achievements (e.g. school olympiads, subject contests, etc. on at least regional level);
• candidates who are not graduates of Polish primary/middle schools:
– the results of external exams conducted within other systems of education,
– term/end-of-year (depending on the documents available) present grade marks in the English language, Maths, and the subjects that the candidate plans to choose in the IB Diploma Programme,
– in justified cases, the candidate may be requested to deliver marks from the previous grade,
– certificates of advanced level of competence in English,
– other achievements;
• all candidates:
– a written assignment, personally prepared by the candidate, on one of the topics from the list below;
– an interview concerning the candidate’s interests, the IB Diploma Programme and the written assignment submitted prior to the interview.
Information on the written assignment
The assignment is to be written in English, on one of the topics from the list below. The word limit is 350-450 words. It is to be sent to the following address : ib.viiipalo@gmail.com or delivered to the school secretary office a week before the assigned date of the interview.
The list of topics:
1. Being a good scientist requires creativity. Discuss.
2. In the modern world everybody talks and nobody listens.
3. Design an investigation (it may be imaginary) connecting two fields of knowledge, one of science and one of humanities. How would you formulate the aims of such a project?
5. Choose a problem you are not familiar with and design an investigation leading to obtaining basic knowledge on it.
6. Mathematics is just a tool for describing the reality – do you agree?
7. Do leaders have moral obligations?
8. Mathematical knowledge – where does it come from? Discuss your experiences.
9. Reading a piece of literature in different languages changes the way one perceives it. Do you agree?
10. The difference between the unknown, uncertain, probable and certain. Discuss, choosing a field of science or the humanities.
11. Given unlimited resources, what scientific or medical problems would you investigate?
12. How much information is “too much information”?
13. Knowledge and happiness are incompatible – the more you know, the more you worry. Discuss.
14. Schools should not only give you factual knowledge but teach life and social skills as well. Discuss.
Assessment criteria:
– relevance to the topic
– perspective of presenting the issue
– clarity and consistency of the argument
– level of independence (both the assignment and the discussion on it will be taken into consideration)
– language (grammar and range of vocabulary)
– accuracy
– composition
Interview information (DP1 candidates):
Interview information (DP1 candidates):
The candidate and his or her parent/parents are to contact the school by telephone (12 633 96 57) or email (ib.viiipalo@gmail.com) to set the date of the interview. The purpose of the interview is to inform the candidate and his/her parents about the IB Diploma Programme taught at VIII PALO and its requirements as well as to get to know the candidate and, in particular, to establish his/her initial expectations and the list and level of subjects that the candidate plans to take.
The candidate is requested to send by email or deliver to the school secretary office the written assignment, the application form and a set of necessary documents (e.g. scans of the documents) listed in the Rules of the Admissions Process.
The interview is not an exam but it aims at getting to know the candidate and assessing his/her chances of succeeding in the IB Diploma Programme. Thus, it is advisable that the candidate and his/her parents read the statutory documents of the International Baccalaureate Organization: Academic integrity and IB Learner profile (available together with other documents under IB Documents tab). The programme requirements, described in the documents and the candidate’s attitude to them will also be discussed during the interview.
The part of the interview that will concentrate on the written assignment is to develop the topic chosen by the candidate as well as to assess to what extent its content is the result/outcome of the candidate’s own work. It is also a good opportunity for the candidate to introduce himself/herself more widely to the committee.